What is it about?

This paper explores the dynamic tension between two sets of narratives, both of which relate to the origins of yoga postures. The focus explores the ways in which an 'Egyptian' or 'Kemetic' yoga tradition has formed and how this is promoted through tourism. As well as how it is operationalised toward a Black ethno-nationalism.

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Why is it important?

The ways in which neo-Romantic sentiments are woven into the global wellness industry and their connections to various types of cultural revival and ethno-nationalisms is an under-explored rubric. Therefore, what makes this paper unique is the ways in which it pulls together seemingly disparate conditions to show previously unnoticed perspectives.

Perspectives

The thing that drew me towards this topic was the 'turf wars' that I noticed within various yoga-related groups on Facebook. Supporters of both 'Indian' and 'Egyptian' yoga were engaging in rhetorical warfare over whose 'yoga' is older, and, therefore, better. This 'yoga mat measuring competition' intrigued me, especially as some wokish academics were asserting that not abiding by various tenets of a newly fashioned 'yoga theology,' which claims that it would, otherwise, be racist to not agree with the assertion that 'yoga' was, in fact, gifted to India from Egypt. However, what makes this matter even more interesting is that no evidence for such a claim of yoga's Egyptian origins is offered. Therefore, I went looking for it, in an attempt to steel man the argument. Though, what I found was that the entire foundation of the Egyptian/Kemetic yoga is built upon Europe's 19th century fascination with Egyptian mystery schools and various orders of brotherhoods linked to these movements.

Patrick McCartney
Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Letters

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This page is a summary of: Yoga’s Own “N-word” and Afrakan-Inspired Yogic Ethnostates, February 2024, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004686250_008.
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